Friends of a 15-year-old who was fatally stabbed on Nuns’ Island over the weekend crowded into a Montreal courtroom on Monday as a 16-year-old youth was charged with second-degree murder in the case.

Wearing matching hoodies featuring the name of their deceased friend and the date he died, the students glared at the accused as he was brought into Youth Court on Bellechasse St.

The accused, dressed in a white shirt and black tie, remained calm despite the tense atmosphere in the courtroom. His distraught mother, who was sitting on a chair beside the prisoner’s dock, wept and trembled throughout the brief arraignment.

She and a friend were escorted from the courthouse by three security guards.

The accused is to return to court on Friday for a bail hearing, said prosecutor Sophie Lamarre.

Under Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act, the accused and the victim cannot be named because they are minors.

When the hearing was over, many of the victim’s friends burst into tears as they left the courtroom. None of them wanted to speak to the media.

The 15-year-old was a Grade 10 student at a French high school in LaSalle. He had been a student at École secondaire Cavelier-De LaSalle and Collège de Montréal last year, but returned to Cavalier-De LaSalle in September.

Instead of wearing Halloween costumes to school on Monday, many students at Cavelier-De LaSalle dressed all in black to mourn the tragic death of their fellow student.

“Everybody felt sad for him, even people that didn’t know him,” said one student who was in the same grade as the victim.

“It’s really sad for his family,” the student added. “I wish his family well.”

Another student who was a friend of the victim said both staff and students were overcome with emotion on Monday.

“Today a lot of students are crying because he was a nice guy and he died,” the student said.

Teachers spoke to the students about the killing Monday morning and counsellors were sent to the school to speak to students and teachers who are distressed, said Gina Guillemette, a spokesperson for the Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys.

“He was someone who was well liked,” she said. “There is a lot of solidarity and empathy in the school this morning about what happened.”

Guillemette wouldn’t say whether the 16-year-old accused is also a student at the LaSalle high school.

Officials at Collège de Montréal had counsellors and support staff available to talk to students and teachers who knew the victim.

The victim was stabbed after a party Friday night during a conflict on Île-des-Soeurs Blvd., near Darwin St. He was stabbed in the upper body and died in hospital of his injuries. Since his death, his friends and classmates have posted numerous messages on Facebook saying how much he will be missed.

Police investigators have collected evidence, including what is suspected to be the murder weapon, which has been sent to a police laboratory for testing. The motive for the killing is not known.